It has been a joy to not only read your blog but to get to know you… Your sense of humor, love of nature, the respect with which you greet your readers and the love and respect you have for your family leaps off the monitor in brilliant technicolor.

Have I poured it on enough? I wanted to make sure you knew how much I believe you deserve the Mouse and Trowel Award for Best New Blog. AND, how much I value getting to know you!

Why thank you back Gail, pretty, glowing words. No surprise after reading your comments on the many blogs that we both visit. I am amazed at the ways you pay your respect to the efforts of others. No editing needed!

Thanks very much for the link and the praise. Many people have noted already that the Mousies serve the purpose of introducing people to blogs they wouldn’t otherwise have paid enough attention to, and it’s definitely been nice to notice and be noticed.

Of course, I also enjoyed the extravagant cash prize for being one of the three finalists. But coming across good new blogs is nice too.

Hi Mr. Subjunctive, there has been a lot more traffic here since the mousie nomination, not necessarily more comments though. All good. My family asked, what do you get for winning? A badge for the sidebar and more readers is plenty of prize, I tell them. ;->

Hi Monica, thanks, glad you liked it. Pam at Digging gave me the idea with her green fuzzy heart leaves.

Hi Lisa, Moss-ly I want to thank my loyal readers…..you have been a steady comment leaver since the beginning, thanks.

Hi Phillip, thanks and your blog is always full of lovely photos, a dream garden.

Ha! That moss heart is the best! Your blog and your garden are so wonderful, they’re an inspiration to us all! (Not to mention, of course, that thye’re located in my home state, the great state of Tennessee!)

Hi Ewa, thanks for your long time support and friendship, I appreciate you.

Hi Ellie, Glad you liked the heart, it was fun putting it together, then planting back onto the step risers from whence it came. Even though I am not a native Tennessean, it must be admitted that there is something magical about the way things grow here. Like no where else we have lived. The plants want to grow and the conditions are so conducive, no gardener is necessary. Thanks for your enthusiastic support!

Congratulations, Frances! I just started visiting your site a few weeks ago (don’t know how I missed it before), and didn’t realize for awhile how new you were to blogging. Your posts are so informative and well-presented, and you are so knowledgeable about gardening. In fact, I’ve not only gotten tips from comments you’ve left me, but also from comments you’ve left on others’ blogs.

Congratulations, Frances, on a well-deserved Mousie win. I’ve enjoyed reading your blog since day one. You are so into the garden-blogging community, and I loved it that you signed on for the Spring Fling right away, and then I got to meet you in person. Way to stand out in your first year of blogging!

Hi Elizabeth, thanks. It was a thrill to meet you too, along with Susan. Garden Rant has been on my must read list from its inception. Congrats to you both, plus Amy and Michele for your well deserved award also.

Hi Ken & Carina, thanks for those sweet words. I love your blog also, your primulas are the best and your concrete sculptures are wonderful. Thanks for being loyal readers.

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My name is Frances and I am a lifelong gardener, having lived in various parts of the USA over many years. I am now gardening in USDA Zone 7a east Tennessee. From 2000 to 2014 I was gardening on a slope in a small town in Tennessee. I have been blogging about my gardens since December of 2007. Thank you for visiting!